Rail-bracer.



w/H. nawms.

RAIL BRACER.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 3. 19H.

1,267,990. Patented May 28,1918.

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amamcaai specification 6f Letters Patent.

Application filed April 3, 1917i Serial 159,516:

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, WI'LLIAMDENNIS,

a citizen'of the United States, residingat" Exeter, in the county of Rockingham and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain useful Improvements in Rail- Bracers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The present invention relates to a brace adapted for engagement with a rail, to hold the same from spreading or tilting when subjected to lateral strain on curves and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a brace of this nature which may be easily attached to rails which are already laid, which will protect the tie from wearing at one side of the base of the rail, as is common in present use; and to provide a brace which may be positioned Without the use of the ordinary spikes, and wherein the fastening means employed is not subjected to the heavy strain to which the usual railroad spikes are submitted.

The invention further aims at the provision of a brace of this character which may be economically manufactured, produced and handled.

Other objects and advantages of this invention, as well as the above, will be brought out more specifically in the follow ing detailed description of the present preferred embodiment of this invention, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a track having the improved brace applied to one rail thereof.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the outer rail of a curve having the improved brace applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the body portion of the brace.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the interlocking part of the brace.

Referring to this drawing, 10 and 11 designate the rails of a track, the outer'rail 10 having the brace of this invention applied thereto. The rails are supported in the usual manner upon ties 12.

The brace comprises a body member 13,

which is preferably stamped from sheet steel, and being substantially of U-shape. The opposite arms of the body member 13 are bent downwardly from the ends of the web or intermediate portion-- 'of' tl1'e body andhave at their outer ends under-cut upstanding projection providing hooks 14 adapted for engagement over the base of the rail 10. The arms, designated at 15, are adapted to lie against the opposite sides of one of the ties 12. The web of the body portion is of a length to extend across the upper face of a tie and to hold the arms 15 against the opposite sides thereof. The arms 15 project beneath the rail and support the hooks 14 in such position as to engage the base flange of the rail at the inner side of the latter, and thus hold the rail from tilting outwardly. A single fastening device, such as an ordinary spike 16, is secured downwardly through the web of the member 13 and into the tie for the purpose of holding the body member from sliding longitudinally on the tie 12.

An inter-locking member 17, which is also preferably stamped from sheet steel, is provided with a main web portion of a width adapted to fit snugly between the inner edge 18 of the body 13, and the adjacent edge of the base of the rail. The inter-locking member is secured by a single spike 19 to the top of the tie 12, the spike merely holding the web portion from lifting upwardly from within the body member.

The web of the member 17 has at its op- .posite end upturned lugs 20, which extend inwardly toward, and are adapted to engage against the web of the rail 10, the lugs 20 engaging beneath the rail head to support the outer side thereof.

By the use of this improved brace, the rail 10 is held from tilting outwardly when subjected to abnormal strain, and the ties 12 are protected from the biting or wearing of the base flange of the rail across the upper faces of the ties.

It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may be made in thi structure, without departing from the spirit of this invention, such changes and modifications being limited only by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is A rail brace including a U-shaped body member stamped from a single piece of sheet metal and embodying a web and sides adapted to be straddled about a tie, means for securing the web of the body member,

Patented May 28,1918

arm projeetin inwardly fromthe sidesof of the rail base and on the: upper surface the body mem er and adapted to lie upon of the tie, upwardly and inwardly extendopposite sides of the tie, upwardly and ining lugs onthe opposite sides of the web of wardly projecting hooks-on the freeends the'interlocking member and adapted to surface of one si ed the base of a rai an" beneath the head of the rail, and means for interlocking member also stamped from a securing the interlocking member. blank of sheet metal and embodying aweb In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. adapted to be snugly arranged between the I 10 web of a, body member and the opposite side WILLIAM H.- DENNIS.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the f0ommissloner of Patents, i. a, b washingtomncfiff n v 5 of the arms ada ted to engage the u per engage the opposite side of the rail web and 15 

